Faust Historic Village

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As St. Louis County has been progressively developed, many nineteenth century structures have been lost. But Faust Historic Village has and continues to preserve the area's vernacular architecture and history. There are four homes and a total of 18 structures representing a variety of building and architectural styles, from log to brick. Spanning a period from 1840 to 1910, the Village illustrates differences in lifestyle representing various professions, developments and needs of the period.

Miles A. Seed invented and manufactured photographic dry plates and other supplies that brought photography to every day people beginning in the 1880s. He built an elegant mansion and carriage house in Jennings, Missouri. Only the Queen Anne style carriage house survived the 20th century, however. It has been converted to the Faust Park office.

Henry Hoch used his skill as a brick maker to begin a business in partnership with his brother, and eventually opened a well-known general store. His small German brick cottage was built around 1880.

Frank Kaatman, his father and grandfather were lifetime blacksmiths. Tools of the trade can be found in the Yokel barn.

Dr. Fredrick Bates and his wife, Lavinia, lived comfortably on his income as a physician, farmer and on his inheritance from his father. After Dr. Bates death, in 1862, his widow married Samuel Conway.

Ludwig and Salome Hiller Mertz moved from Alsace-Lorraine with two children. They bought a farm, built a cabin in phases, and raised six children in the cabin, engendering many descendents.

The Davis House exhibits a long and interesting history in construction and detailing.

Jacob Wilhelm came to the United States to be a blacksmith on the building of the Eads bridge. When the Eads Bridge was completed in 1874, Jake Wilhelm moved to Spanish Lake, building a house and shop near the present day intersection of Bellefontaine Road and Parker Road. Jacob’s son Joseph ran the shop until 1975 when it was taken over by Bob Schantz.

The Fenton Mercantile was built by John DeSalme and Henry Ludwig in 1908 to replace an original blacksmith shop that stood at the intersection of Main Street and Ware Street in Historic Fenton.

The village provides a context in which the life styles of the settlers of St. Louis County and the skills they used to survive are illustrated. Blacksmithing, spinning, weaving, natural dyeing, and other antique arts are all demonstrated at different times of the year.